Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is reporting that more than 1,300 people remain missing in Nepal and Tibet after catastrophic flash floods swept through a border region with China. It said the floods, which struck early Wednesday, have killed at least 273 people and include 25 Canadians among the missing in the Himalayan area. Nepalese officials reported dozens of bridges destroyed and nearly 40 kilometers of roads damaged, complicating search efforts. The Nepalese military has rescued more than 100 people by helicopter, airlifting at least eight foreign nationals to Kathmandu. Climate experts told CBC the flooding was likely caused by an avalanche from a glacier, a phenomenon becoming more common due to human-caused climate change. Researchers in Kathmandu found earlier this year that glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region are melting at double the rate since 2000.
CBC is also reporting on the death of Fatin Ben Homar Azizi, a 26-year-old Moroccan soccer player who died last month attempting to swim from Morocco to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. She was one of at least 141 people a Moroccan human rights organization said died trying to make the crossing, which many view as a pathway to European residency. Youth unemployment in Morocco, around 36 percent, drives many to attempt irregular migration. Azizi joined an estimated 80,000 Moroccans and other migrants who traveled to Fnideq, a northern border city near Ceuta, to make the crossing in late July. Spain's government said 2,500 minors are currently staying in Ceuta after making the journey.
In other news, CBC said a renewed "Buy Canadian" movement is gaining traction due to new U.S. 50 percent tariffs. Consumers are clamping down on purchasing American products, with a Made in Canada Facebook group seeing a 300 percent increase in page views this month. Canada is introducing counter-tariffs on $28 billion worth of U.S. goods, with experts telling CBC the strategy appears designed to impact U.S. midterms by targeting states like Michigan and Maine. Ottawa has also focused on American metals and metal products, areas where Canadian industries could grow domestically. However, the U.S. trade representative has indicated the White House will not back down, suggesting further counter-tariffs could lead to more economic pain for Canada.
Separately, CBC reported the death of British actor Tim Curry at age 80, known for roles such as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." It also noted the passing of music icon Dolly Parton earlier this week after a short battle with cancer, highlighting her Imagination Library program which has provided millions of children with free books.